April 8 (UPI) — Golden State Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts will retire at the conclusion of the 2020-21 NBA season, it was announced Thursday.
The 68-year-old Welts, who is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has spent 46 years working in the league. In 2011, he became the most prominent executive in men’s professional sports to publicly acknowledge he is gay.
Welts will remain with the organization as an adviser. The Warriors said they will name a new president within the next week.
“This has been the ride of a lifetime,” Welts said in a statement. “To have had a front row seat to the growth of the NBA from where it was in the late 1960s to its place today as one of the most respected and successful leagues in sports on a global stage has been an incredible privilege.
“The first day I met Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, I wanted to be a part of building what I knew could be a special organization. We have the most talented staff in the industry, and we are poised for even greater success in the future. Personally, I am excited for my own next chapter.”
“Thank you for all you’ve done for the NBA and the WNBA… I’m so proud of you.”@RickWelts joined The Jump on @espn today, where he received a special message from his dear friend, the legendary @RealBillRussell. pic.twitter.com/fuApPpQ2wT— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 8, 2021
Welts started his NBA career as a ball boy with the Seattle SuperSonics in 1969. He eventually became the team’s public relations director when the franchise won a championship in 1979.
Welts also worked at the NBA’s league offices from 1982-99 and was credited with the creation of the NBA All-Star Weekend concept.
He later worked for the Phoenix Suns from 2002-11, holding roles as president and CEO.
Welts, a Seattle native, has seen the Warriors capture three NBA championships during his 11 years with the organization. He also oversaw the construction of the team’s state-of-the-art Chase Center in San Francisco.
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